


omg they were roomates

by lilacsuns (Milival)



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: M/M, bakery worker yuta, dark edgy ten, full of clichés tbh, soft pastel boy yuta, tattoo artist ten
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-22
Updated: 2019-12-26
Packaged: 2021-02-25 20:53:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21521725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Milival/pseuds/lilacsuns
Summary: Yuta's been sharing a flat with Ten for four months, yet he still knows nothing about him, despite how curious he is. On one tearful night, they unexpectedly start getting closer, and it's the start of something neither of them could've imagined.
Relationships: Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten/Nakamoto Yuta, Huang Ren Jun/Na Jaemin, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 94
Collections: NCT Rarepair





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt 136: Tattoo artist!A and baker!B are unlikely roommates. A is mildly intimidating with his grungey punk vibes and loud music and swirls of ink and shining piercings. On the other hand B is all soft sweaters and random animal facts and light colored hair and sweet scents. However after some initial personality clash the two end up having a heart to heart and realize they’re more similar than they thought. This leads to weekly hangouts that turn into almost dates as the two take forever to admit their feelings, but when they do....

If there was one thing Yuta liked more than work, it was coming home after a long day knowing he could just spend his night reading. He usually ended up wrapped in a blanket on the couch, a steaming cup of tea on the table and his latest reading in hands.

His tea was cold by the time his roommate came home, but he hadn’t moved, too caught up in his book. He raised his head at the noise of the front door opening, waved at Ten, and then went back to what he was doing.

He’d been living with Ten for about four months — the younger had moved in about three weeks after Sicheng, Yuta’s previous roommate had left. Despite sharing a flat for a while, they weren’t close, at all. They exchanged hellos and goodbyes when they left for and came back from work, exchanged about chores and what was needed for the apartment, but that was it.

It had been weird at first, Yuta was used to sharing his space with a friend — he and Sicheng had known each other for years before even moving in. But after a bit he’d gotten used to it, and had made peace with the fact that he and Ten would probably never be close.

It didn’t stop him from being curious though. Ten had a rough exterior, the living version of YA novel’s bad boy. Dark hair, covered in tattoos and ears pierced more times than Yuta could count, always dressed in black and wearing doc Martens. Yet, unlike the bad boy cliché, he was always polite, he made sure to warn Yuta every time he brought someone home and was an overall great roommate.

That was all Yuta knew about him. He wasn’t even sure what his job was, if he was honest. Something where he had customers, he’d heard him complain about rude ones a few times on the phone, but he didn’t have any other clues. Not knowing much about the guy only made him more curious, really wanting to find out more about him, about his personality and his life.

So instead, he focused on his life, his work and his friends. If he didn’t think too much about the mystery that was his roommate, then he had a chance of not totally losing his mind.

The Cookie Jar was a cute little bakery/coffee shop Taeyong and Jaehyun, two of Yuta’s best friends, had opened around two years ago, after college. He’d been working there from the beginning, and never wanted to leave. They were a small team of five: Taeyong baked, helped by Jaemin from times to times, Jaehyun and Yuta were in charge of the customers, and Mark, Taeyong’s little brother, sometimes came to help, when there was too much work.

He loved the place: the contrast of the dark wood furniture against the white of the walls and the green of the plants they’d scattered around the sitting area. He even loved the customers. They had a few regulars, people who’d been there from the start or who just came every morning to buy the same thing, but who always managed to put a smile on his face no matter what.

He was currently leaning against the counter, watching Jaemin talk with his boyfriend near the register. The middle of the afternoon was always a slow time, with only a few customers coming in. Renjun was often one of them, everyone was used to him coming over every few days, staying to talk with Jaemin for a bit before he had to go back to work. Yuta wasn’t really sure what his work actually was, only that he was an artist, as his pink-haired friend had once proudly told him.

His attention was taken away from the couple by someone coming up to him to order. He’d already seen the girl a few times, remembered the purple streak in her dark hair and the little star tattoo she had under one eye. He was pretty sure she was a student, what with the fact she usually stayed for hours, eyes glued to books or her laptop screen.

- _Studying again?_ He asked with a smile.

- _Yeah_ , she answered. _I’ll take a double espresso and a piece of that dark chocolate cake you had the other day._

- _Sure. I’ll bring it to you, Jaemin will ring you up._

Making coffee was a routine now, he could probably do half of the orders he got with his eyes closed. He liked that, liked how familiar everything was. He got the coffee and cake ready, quickly placing it on the girl’s table, before going back behind the counter. He spared a glance in Jaemin and Renjun’s direction just in time to see his coworker bend over the counter to drop a quick kiss on his boyfriend’s lips. He smiled softly to himself before turning away, giving the two boys some privacy.

By the time Renjun had left, rush hours were starting. He and Jaemin were now glued to their spot, taking orders and ringing up customers as quickly as possible. They couldn’t help but sigh when Mark appeared at the door, rushing into the back and joining them two minutes later, now wearing the light yellow apron they all had to wear.

From then on things went a lot smoother. Having a third person to help always made things easier for them, and the rush eventually died down. It didn’t stop them from being exhausted at the end of the day, the three of them closing up as fast as they could with only one thing in mind: going home.

As much as he loved his life, Yuta had his bad days too sometimes. He was living away from his family, from the country he grew up in, and even though he was comfortable where he was now, he couldn’t help but miss Japan sometimes.

Today was one of these days. He’d had a long week at work, he was tired, and he’d seen at least five pictures of his cousins hanging out together on his Instagram feed in the last half hour. It had all suddenly been too much for him to handle.

He was alone in the apartment - Ten should’ve been home by now, but he’d texted to say he would be back later than usual and that he was sorry about the disturbance. He wasn’t sure if he was grateful for the respite it granted him or if he just wanted his roommate to be home so he wouldn’t feel as alone and empty. That train of thoughts did nothing good to him, only bringing more tears to his already messy cheeks.

He didn’t know how long he’d spent curled up in a ball on the couch, but it was already dark when Ten finally came home and found him. In two seconds he’d dropped his bag and jacket on the breakfast bar and was rushing to the living room, crouching in front of the crying boy.

\- _Hey what’s wrong?_

\- _Nothing_ , he answered, wiping his face in the sleeve of his sweater. _I’m fine, don’t worry_.

\- _You’re clearly not fine Yuta. You don’t have to pretend to be okay for me_ , Ten said, squeezing his knee.

\- _We’re not friends._

\- _That’s true. But it doesn’t mean you can’t trust me or talk to me._

Yuta sighed, looking up, meeting Ten’s worried glance. It was sweet that he worried even though they weren’t close. It made him feel slightly better. Should he follow his advice though? He wasn’t sure he could really talk to him, not about that. He felt like their first real conversation shouldn’t be about why he was crying like an idiot because of some pictures. But at the same time, Ten was offering, and Yuta really wanted to talk, to just vent about his feelings so they didn’t stay trapped inside his head and his heart.

After thinking about it for a moment he took a deep breath, sat up properly and gestured for Ten to come sit next to him on the couch. He was fiddling with the hem of his sleeves, nervous about opening up, but he could feel the tension seeping from him as he thought about getting things off his chest.

- _You have to promise not to make fun of me. I know it’s gonna sound stupid and I don’t want you to laugh or something._

\- _I won’t. And I’m sure it’s not as stupid as you think._

And that was all the assurance he needed to start talking. He explained everything: how he’d left Japan for college, and had ended up never going back; the fact that despite how happy he was he still missed it a lot, and that seeing his family hanging out together without him made him feel like he was missing out on so much. That sometimes, he wanted to hop on the first plane to Osaka just to hug his mom.

Ten didn’t interrupt him once — he just let him talk, humming or nodding at some points to show he was still following, or that he understood. It felt nice, to have someone listening and to finally talk about something that had been bothering for longer than he could remember. And even though his roommate didn’t say anything, Yuta felt like Ten understood exactly what he was saying, how he was feeling.

When he was finally done, once he’d exhausted everything he had to say, he fell back against the couch, feeling lighter than ever. Ten was looking at him with a small smile, still holding his knee. Yuta didn’t expect him to talk next.

- _I get it, you know. I think it’s something everyone living abroad experiences at some point. And it’s not stupid, at all._

\- _You really think so?_

\- _Yeah of course. I mean, honestly I’d be surprised if you didn’t feel that way sometimes. Your family is all the way across the globe and even though you’ve been living here for years it’s still technically a foreign country. It’s okay to miss Japan, and it’s even more okay to miss your family._

- _You’re wiser than I thought_ , Yuta admitted with a laugh.

\- _It’s because I speak from experience._

\- _You’re not from here?_

- _My name is Ten. Of course not_ , he said with a laugh. _I moved from Thailand about five years ago. So really, I know what you’re going through._

\- _I didn’t know…_

\- _It’s okay, don’t worry. There’s a lot of stuff we don’t know about each other_ , Ten said with a smile.

\- _Yeah. Thank you, for comforting me. You didn’t have to._

\- _I know. And you’re welcome. Next time you feel down like that don’t keep it all bottled up okay? Talk to someone about how you feel, it’ll help more than keeping everything to yourself. And if you don’t want to share it with your friends I’m always here. You know where I live, he joked._

\- _I will, I promise. Thanks a lot_ , Yuta said, smiling.

They didn’t stay for much longer. Ten got up first, taking his stuff to bring it into his room, as Yuta left to shower. As he got into bed that night, he couldn’t hold back a smile. He’d finally cracked his roommate. Not much, but it was still a step forward in getting to know him. And he already had a plan to repay him, to show how thankful he was for the support he’d offered him.


	2. Chapter 2

The plan was easy, really. There was no way for him to screw things up. He knew Ten would be home later than him, and that he had about an hour before he’d be here. So he’d decided he would cook dinner, so they could share a meal and maybe keep talking like they’d done the previous night.

He wasn’t a great cook, but he knew enough, and he was perfectly capable of cooking something good. He’d even brought back half a cake from the bakery for dessert, determined to show Ten how much he appreciated his gesture.

He glanced at the clock that was hanging above the bathroom door, and groaned when he saw the time. He had about half an hour left before his roommate would be home, and he was barely finished with the meal. He let it cook slowly, going to set the table. They didn’t have an actual table, only the small one in the living room. It wasn’t the best to eat on, but it would have to do, because it was his best option. He didn’t want to make it too fancy, but he tried his best to make the table look nice.

He was turning off the stove when he heard the noise of keys inside the lock. The surprised look on Ten’s face was priceless, and he really wished he’d taken of picture of it, for future reference.

\- _Are you expecting someone?_ Ten asked as he got rid of his coat.

\- _I wanted to thank you for yesterday. Properly_ , Yuta explained with a small smile.

- _You really didn’t have to, I told you I didn’t mind._

_\- Still. It’s not much, just pastas and some cake I brought back from work. But I wanted to do something nice._

_\- That’s… Really sweet. Thanks_ , Ten said, smiling. _Let me just go change and I’ll be right back._

\- _Sure_.

He took advantage of him leaving the room to get the food ready on the table, still hot and smelling nicer than he’d expected. He got rid of his apron, staying in his tee-shirt and peach cardigan. When Ten came back, dressed in a simple gray sweater, they didn’t waste any time and immediately sat down to eat.

The evening started off a bit awkward. They weren’t used to doing anything together, or even to talk about things that weren’t related to the flat. But after a bit, once they were done with all the basic topics they could think of, they moved on to more interesting things.

They talked about their day at first, which could have been boring, but it gave Yuta more insight on Ten’s life, on his friends and what he did. In five minutes he’d found out that his roommate was a tattoo artist, and that he ran his shop with his two best friends and an apprentice they’d hired the previous year. It was more than he’d ever learned in four months.

He’d also quickly realized that Ten, as intimidating as he looked, was really easy to talk to. The conversation now flowed naturally between them, easy and comfortable, like they’d been friends for years. They’d talked all the way through dinner, and Yuta was now bringing the cake to the table, under the appreciating gaze of his new friend.

\- _Did you make it?_ He asked.

\- _No, my friend Taeyong did I think. He’s the baker, my job is to deal with the customers usually._

_\- It must be nice, to work in a bakery. Or is it a coffee shop?_

_\- We do both. And yeah, it’s nice. The shop is really nice, and I work with my friends, so I really can’t complain. We’re still small, but we have regulars and we’re starting to get a bit of recognition, so it’s really cool_ , he explained, smile getting bigger.

- _I see_ , Ten said with an amused smile.

- _What does that smile mean?_

_\- You get all excited when you talk about your work. It’s cute._

_\- Oh_ , Yuta said, feeling a blush creep onto his cheeks. _I just really like what I do._

_\- It’s really cool that you do._

From that, they moved to other subjects, from their favorite ice cream flavor to random anecdotes from when they first moved here. They’d moved to the couch at some point, sitting facing each other as they traded stories from their native countries or their friends and families.

After four months of living together, they were finally getting to know each other, becoming friends quicker than they could’ve ever expected. It felt nice, Yuta thought to himself as they were doing the dishes together. To finally be comfortable around each other, to do stuff together. He hoped that things would keep going that way, that they’d keep hanging out like that night.

After that first dinner they’d shared, things slowly changed between them. After spending hours talking that night, it was obvious to both of them that they couldn’t go back to how things were before, and they’d slowly integrated the other in their daily routines. They talked a lot more, and they’d started waiting for each other at night, having dinner together almost every evening.

\- _I’ll be back late tonight_ , Ten said one morning as he got ready to leave for work.

They’d shared breakfast for once, sitting facing each other as they slowly woke up. It didn’t happen often, but Yuta liked how peaceful it was, their little flat filled with the smell of Ten’s coffee and of toasts. His shifts at the bakery usually started later than Ten’s shop opened, and they didn’t have that much occasions to hang out in the morning, which made every time they did even more special. This time was no exception: Yuta wasn’t even done eating and his roommate was almost out of the door already.

- _Do you know what time?_

_\- Not sure, I’m doing a big piece today. I’m not sure how long it will take._

_\- Okay. Text me when you’re done ok? I’ll wait for you if it doesn’t take too long_ , the older said with a smile, finishing his toast.

\- _Are you sure? I can eat when I get back you don’t have to wait for me_ , Ten said, buttoning his coat.

\- _It’s fine, I don’t mind_ , Yuta said with a smile. _Your scarf_ , he added handing his roommate said scarf.

- _Thanks. See you later, good luck at the bakery!_ He added as he finally left.

It took Yuta a few tries to wipe the soft smile off his face. He loved how natural things had become between them, loved that he got to call Ten his friend now, instead of only referring to him as his roommate.

In addition to having dinner every night, they’d added another routine to their schedule. They’d decided after a few weeks of hanging out that Friday nights would become movie nights.

They took turns showing the other a movie they loved, usually accompanied by sweets Yuta brought back from work. In the few months they’d done it he’d managed to find out and memorize most of Ten’s favorite cakes and sweets, and tried his best to bring back things he was sure he’d like.

This time he’d brought something a little different. Taeyong had decided to try working with fruit, resulting in a delicious mango cheesecake that Yuta couldn’t wait to try. Ten had texted him earlier, promising him he’d be back before 8 pm with take-outs. As he waited for him to arrive, he got the living room ready for movie night.

By the time Ten was here, Yuta had managed to drag two blankets from his room, had gotten his computer ready, and made sure the dessert was still sitting nicely in the fridge. As soon as he’d taken off his coat and scarf, Ten threw himself down on the couch with a deep sigh.

\- _Are you okay?_ Yuta asked as he sat down next to him, a bit worried by the tired look on his roommate’s face.

- _Just tired, don’t worry. I’m glad the week’s almost over_ , he said with a laugh.

\- _We don’t have to watch a movie if you’re too tired, we can skip it this week._

_\- No no, I want to! It’s a good way to relax, and I’ve waited all day for this._

Yuta smiled at that, simply handing him a box of takeout and chopsticks as he set up the movie. He got on the couch again, sitting close to Ten, draping a blanket across their laps. They ate in silence, as they watched the movie, exchanging small comments here and there.

They gravitated toward each other as the movie went on, slowly getting closer, until they were actually snuggling together. Yuta’s head was now resting on Ten’s shoulder, and the younger had draped an arm around his shoulders, playing with the strands of his hair.

It was nice, Yuta thought, drowning in the warmth created by Ten next to him and the blanket they were still wrapped in. Everything was quiet except for the movie and their soft laughter, the perfect atmosphere for a Friday night.

Everything was going great, until the movie ended and they decided to finally eat the cheesecake. If there was one thing Yuta didn’t expect when he brought it back to the living room was to see Ten staring at him with the most horrified look he’d ever seen.

- _What’s wrong?_ He asked, frowning.

\- _What’s this?_

_\- Cheesecake? Obviously?_

_\- But why is there… Orange stuff._

_\- Oh that’s mango. Taeyong is experiencing with fruits these days_ , Yuta explained. _You don’t like mango, do you?_ He added when Ten’s expression didn’t change.

\- _Not just mango it’s… Fruit. I hate fruit so much._

He tried, he really did. But seeing Ten, covered-in-tattoos and always-wearing-black Ten look so terrified and disgusted at the thought of a simple fruit was one of the funniest, most unexpected thing that had ever happened to him.

- _Don’t make fun of me!!_ Ten exclaimed.

\- _I’m not! I swear I’m not making fun of you, it’s just… Oh my god I can’t believe you got so mad just because of a few pieces of mango._

 _\- I hate fruits ok, I can’t help it_ , he pouted.

- _It’s fine. I’ll make sure not to buy you any fruit in the future_ , he said, still half-laughing.

They went on for the rest of the evening, not bringing it up again, simply enjoying their movie and spending time together. Yuta liked the calm closeness they had managed: he could feel their relationship getting stronger as the days passed, yet it never felt like something big was happening. Everything flowed naturally between them, even the slightly flirty comments Ten made and that Yuta tried his best not to think about.

He didn’t mention the fruit thing again, until the next morning, when he walked into the bakery before opening, only to find Taeyong cutting cherries and raspberries into tiny pieces. The memories from the previous night surged back in his mind right away, and he couldn’t help but share the story as he tied his apron, sharing it excitedly with Jaemin and Taeyong, who were both busy making a last batch of goods before they had to open.

\- _And so I bring the cheesecake to the living room, everything’s fine and dandy, and the second he grabs his plate he just… Freezes, slowly put it back down on the table and then he looked at me like I’d just murdered his whole family_ , he explained, holding back his laughter as much as he could. _He freaked out over some tiny bits of fruits!_

 _\- Who freaked about fruits?_ Renjun’s voice suddenly came, head appearing through the open kitchen window, startling all three of them. _They sound like my boss_ , he added as he rested his crossed arms on the windowsill.

\- _Yuta’s roommate_ , Jaemin answered, kissing him quickly. _Apparently he’s afraid of mangoes or something_ , he explained with a laugh.

\- _Fruits in general, not just mangoes. I don’t know, he just hates them that much I guess._

 _\- He really does sound like my boss_ , Renjun hummed. _Always thought Ten was the only one dumb enough to be afraid of fruits_ , he laughed.

\- _Wait your boss is named Ten??_ The Japanese boy exclaimed, whipping his head towards the younger.

\- _Yeah, why?_

_\- That’s my roommate’s name. Kinda lame, always dressed in black, pretends to be tough but actually isn’t?_

_\- Yeah, that’s him. He did say his roommate always had the best desserts, I thought he’d just found a good cook. Covered in tattoos?_

_\- Yeah. I didn’t know you were a tattoo artist._

_-I’m not. Not yet anyway, I work there as an apprentice._

_\- But he’s really talented!!_ Jaemin commented, not even looking up from his cake.

- _I don’t doubt it_ , Yuta answered, smiling at the blush that was slowly spreading on Renjun’s cheeks.

\- _So you and Ten huh?_ the boy said, clearly trying to divert the attention from himself. It was Yuta’s turn to blush.

He could already hear his friends tease him. They’d done it every time he’d mentioned his roommate in the past weeks, making snide comments and smirking at the slightest mention of the Thai’s name. He wasn’t entirely sure why they found it so funny, but he’d learned a long time ago that it was impossible to stop them once they’d started.

It wasn’t like they had much to tease him about, they’d never met Ten, only knew what he told them about him and their friendship. But it seemed to be enough, and they loved to get a reaction out of him every time they mentioned how close he’d grown to his roommate.

And it was true, they were a lot closer now than they’d been a few months ago, but Yuta tried not to think about, tried to forget about how attractive Ten was and that he had a tendency to compliment him at the most random moments, making him blush every time.

\- _Yuta likes Ten a lot_ , Jaemin teased, breaking him out of his thoughts.

\- _And you talk too much_ , Yuta grumbled before leaving the kitchen to escape from the three demons he called his friends.

By the time his shift was over, all his coworkers had exhausted every joke they had about the cute roommate and how much Yuta liked it. He was very glad to finally go home and rest, away from the teasing.

When he finally got to his flat, the first thing he did after getting rid of his coat and eating a quick meal, and finally getting in the corner of the couch, snuggled up in a blanket with one of his favorite books, determined to finish it by the end of the day.

He was still in the same position when Ten came back from work in the evening, startling him when he opened the door. He sat up, blinking slowly as he got back to reality, realizing he’d just spent four hours reading without even moving.

- _I didn’t know Renjun was your apprentice_ , Yuta said once Ten was back from his room and sitting next to him on the couch.

- _You know Renjun?_ He asked, surprised.

\- _Yeah, he comes to the bakery almost every day to see Jaemin, his boyfriend. I’ve known him for a while, I just didn’t realize you know?_

 _\- Oh I didn’t know his Jaemin was your Jaemin. It’s a wonder it took us so long to become friends_ , he said with a laugh.

- _Yeah. Now that I know Renjun works at the same tattoo shop as you I really have to come see it for myself._

_\- You should. I told you, I’d love to give you a tattoo. I’m sure it would look really cool on you._

_\- I’ll think about it_ , Yuta answered with a smile.

- _I can work with that._

And he did think about it. It took him a while, but after a few weeks, he finally gathered enough courage to go and visit Ten at his shop. He was surprised by the atmosphere of it, enjoying the way contrast of a lot of plants against white and light wood.

He was greeted by a guy with red hair who introduced himself as Doyoung when he came in, which almost made him turn back and leave because of how nervous he was. But he was determined, and he didn’t want to chicken out.

\- _I’m here to see Ten?_ he explained, voice wavering a bit on the last words.

\- _I’ll get him, you can wait here_ , Doyoung answered with a smile before leaving the room.

He was in the middle of flipping through one of the notebooks they had out, examining the drawings inside of it to try and guess which ones were Ten’s, when someone came back.

\- _What the- Why are you here?_ Ten said, visibly shocked, standing frozen in the door frame.

\- _Didn’t you say you would give me a tattoo if I wanted to?_ Yuta asked with a teasing smile.

- _I did. I just didn’t think you’d actually do it._

_\- And yet here I am._

_\- You’re full of surprises_ , he said, gesturing for the Japanese boy to follow him to another, smaller room.

\- _You have no idea_ , Yuta agreed, dropping a quick kiss to the corner of his roommate’s lips, feeling a surge of braveness.

- _Fuck._

 _\- Come on, I’m here to get a tattoo, you can stare at me all you want later_ , he teased.

Tattoos were painful, Yuta found out that day. But he also found out Ten had great ways to make him forget about it. He was okay with enduring the pain for a while, if it meant he’d get to kiss his roommate again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, it's finally done!! I'm sorry it took so long for me to get the next part out, but I've finally done it!
> 
> I liked this au a lot, and I loved working on it, I'm gonna miss those two. I hope you enjoyed!!
> 
> And, as usual, you can come hang out on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/chatonvegetal), or ask me stuff on my [cc](https://curiouscat.me/chatonvegetal)!!

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, I hope you enjoyed this first part!! I tried my best to do this prompt justice, and I hope the prompter will like what I did with it!
> 
> Thanks for the support, and keep an eye out for the second part, I'll try to post it as quickly as possible!!


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